For the second year TTE Management & Technical Training is delighted to be supporting the Tees Pride campaign.

At home and abroad the contracts won and initiatives launched by TTE recently will bear fruit in 2004 and further establish this company as one of the leading global technical training providers.

Across each of the group's wholly owned subsidiary companies we have made massive strides in delivering higher standards and new innovations in management and technical training, which, in 2004, will benefit the economy of this region.

TTE's core work with young people is supported by our other subsidiary companies, which extend the high quality of our training provisions across the UK, Europe and beyond.

Most significantly the start of this year has been marked by the signing of the biggest contract in our history.

TTE International Ltd has secured a deal with BP to design and deliver a unique training package, which is widely seen as the global training sector's most prized contract.

The contract will be delivered as part of a multi-million dollar project in Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea.

Our business will provide a five-year training programme for BP Caspian Ltd, which operates the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashi oilfields.

The contract embraces the operation of a newly built training centre and the development and delivery of specialist curriculum materials.

This five-year contract establishes the emerging position of our TTE International subsidiary as a major global technical training company.

In other areas of the world TTE's reputation is beginning to be recognised by some of the biggest industrial companies.

Our presence is now being felt in China and Nigeria and is expected to spread wider in 2004.

We are also continuing to bring overseas technicians from the Middle East and Africa to the UK to benefit from the quality training provisions we provide on Teesside and in Scotland and to achieve the internationally recognised qualifications we deliver.

We now aim to work closely with BP, Shell and other major players to provide their future workforce with the most relevant and up-to-date technical, safety, and competency skills.

As part of our core philosophy TTE has continued its commitment to bridging industry's skills gap in this region.

Our new Centre of Vocational Excellence in Process and Manufacturing Industry, in partnership with Redcar & Cleveland College, is a practical and innovative facility that positively encourages regional businesses to tackle the skills shortage.

In 2004 our Student Engineering Programme, which lays a foundation for an industry sponsored Advanced Modern Apprenticeship, is set to become one of the most successful vocational courses in the country. Already 50pc of the students who will complete the course this year have secured sponsorship from some of the most respected and forward thinking companies in the region.

TTE Scotland Ltd is continuing to grow and has strengthened its partnership with BP Grangemouth. Delivering high quality student programmes and Advanced Modern Apprenticeships, TTE Scotland is forging a path north of the border, which offers positive alternative training routes for young people and provides highly trained motivated technicians to industry.

Each of our subsidiary companies have won landmark contracts the effects of which will be experienced by industry in 2004. TTE Consulting Ltd continued the trend by winning a groundbreaking contract with the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board.

From the beginning of this year TTE Consulting Ltd will assess ECITB's craft based on site training as part of a move to further validate the quality of its Advanced Modern Apprenticeships (AMA) amongst employers.

This is the first time ECITB has outsourced the validation of its AMA apprentices and it is an excellent indication of its forward thinking and innovative approach towards the training of young people.

Another vital part of maintaining the quality and competitiveness of industry in this area is the continuation of training to existing employees. TTE Management and Technical Training has created a multi-media training package for chemical companies at Wilton International as part of a programme to upskill and develop on the job knowledge of mature process technicians, and provide access to qualifications.

We are working closely with Teesside Chemical Initiative to deliver the project. It has been initiated and is being driven with the full support of the Site Stewardship Forum at Wilton International.

There is a very positive atmosphere across the Tees Valley for 2004. More and more opportunities are opening up for companies in this area to showcase their talents not only in the UK, but also around the world.

TTE Management and Technical Training is proud to be one of those companies flying the flag for the region.